The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the world's first-ever vaccine to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — a seasonal respiratory infection that can cause life-threatening pneumonia and dangerous inflammation of the lungs in high-risk groups — the agency announced Wednesday (May 3).
The approved vaccine, called Arexvy and made by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), has been cleared for use in one of those high-risk groups: adults ages 60 and older. Infants and young children make up the other high-risk group, and vaccines for them are still being developed. One shot, designed to be given in pregnancy so protective antibodies can pass through the placenta to the fetus, is nearing approval.
